Running With Scissors
by tonerion
Summary: "You're really dense, you know that?" -Barry/Dawn.


He's never exactly been good with words.

When problems arose and arguements broke out, Barry couldn't help but wonder _what the hell is the point?_

He always made it a goal to mumble out what he thought best and prayed for it to all fall into place.

Of course, as Karma would have it, he's been thrown into as many conflicts for such acts as the conflicts he's avoided. Mainly females, and they all would shout something like "Are you listening to me?"

Barry never really understood it. And of course, such incidents would cause people to react and judge him.

But it's not like he cared.

He's never exactly been good with people, either.

He's made for running and for Pokemon battles; And that's all that he's concerned about.

"You're really dense, you know that?" Dawn's voice echos throughout the desert town, and Barry pulls his scarf closer. He shouldn't exactly be saying desert town, because they're in Snow Point city right now.

Aka the freaking artic.

And he also shouldn't be thinking about things like this right now.

Because it seems it's slipped his mind that Dawn's a mind reader.

He coughs as he turns to face the girl, a small smile etching onto his face. "You just figured that out?" He lets out a laugh, mocking and taunting. It sounds cold and he doesn't realize why it does.

"You didn't even notice my new haircut." She moves her head to whip her hair, but the wind has other plans, apparently. Barry can't help but notice the new length, but decides to let the words slide out for him.

"Was I supposed to? Is it affecting my life?"

She seems hurt, it's written all over her face; For a moment. But Barry watches it wash off and fade into the wind as she puts on a pout, crossing her arms. "It will be when I'm smashing your face in!"

Barry finds himself laughing; Not one of mockery or of taunt, but of the fact that Dawn never changes. But something stirs within him as he throws his hand to his mouth like a giggling school girl.

Oh right. Dawn did change.

She wasn't the same 3rd grader he had met all those years ago. Didn't even act like it, really.

Before and after their journey, it was like the Dawn Barry had previously knew was a completely different person than the person who was blankly beside him.

"How is that funny?"

"You know," He remarks, surveying the girl head to toe. "You would've taken it as a joke as a kid."

"Hmph." Is her reply.

And women lecture Barry on not saying enough words. He rolls his eyes with a thump before knitting his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Who the hell puts a gym out in the North Pole, anyways?

Santa wasn't even the gym leader.

_Tch._

The girl pushes her lips together, and rocks on her feet, looking around in the snow. How she wears as something as short as that jacket, he'll never know.

He shouldn't be complaining about it. He isn't.

But in this cold weather, where Abomasnows would go into a cave and huddle to keep warm, somehow she keeps it up. It amazes him; Really. He remembers the first time he came here and how he ran out of the cold, cursing under his breath about how stupid his dream was until he got his badge, claiming "Even the weather couldn't stop him!"

He scoffs, which causes an odd raise of the eyebrows glance from Dawn, but he ignores it.

"This still isn't funny." The girl murmurs, before taking a fast step and blocking Barrys path. He raises an eyebrow this time, glancing at the girl.

"Did you want something funny?"

She rolls her eyes. "My hands are cold and my jacket doesn't have pockets. And you're the one who brought me out here." She crosses her arms, her eyes trailing him. "Well?"

"Well if you didn't want to come, I wouldn't have blamed you. And you should've brought some proper outfit for the weather. You HAVE been here before," Barry points out, before rolling his eyes and taking his hand out his pocket.

The girl smiles and nods, grabbing onto the boys palm as they continue walking side by side in silence.

It's not awkward silence; It's a nice silence. The kind Barry's always known with Dawn, before and after.

But it's still different, because the way he holds onto her hand makes him feel like a kid again; Like he's running through the house with some safety scissors. Running until he couldn't run anymore, the fear of the scissors being _too much_ and then when he was done he'd sit and listen to his heart beating wildly.

Just like this.

But he hadn't been running now, had he? Well, maybe his brain was doing the running, trying to think of something to say.

Yeah, let's go with that.

He sighs and the puff comes out like he just finished smoking, but he uses his free hand to wave it away. He's aware of the problems an unsteady heartbeat can have, but he's sure it's just the cold. And he hates the cold.

"I wonder if Candice remembers us." Her voice shatters Barry's thoughts - but hey, it's _something_, and he isn't coming up with anything better.

"Well, how could she forget me?" He casually winks at her and can't help but notice her rosy cheeks.

"Are you implying that Candice had a crush on you or something?" It wasn't like she was joking or realized that he was, either. It sounded harsh and mean and Barry really wanted to punch her in the stomach for it but not only could he not do that without guilt but she was a girl and you just don't hit girls.

He still felt like hitting someone in the gut, though.

"It's a joke, Dawn. And I was mainly saying we had a really good battle."

"Tch. You sure?" She scoffs.

_Is there anyone Barry can punch?_

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Well, it's not like Maylene or anything."

"Are you implying that Maylene had a crush on me?"

"I'm not saying she didn't."

Barry could feel his cheeks light up, but he casually just laughed. "Nah, I don't think so."

"Oh? And you're the love expert now?" She raises her eyebrows and tries to scrowl, but Barry knows that smile thats tugging at her lips as he nudges into her with the hand he's holding.

"Like you ever were one. You've never even had a boyfriend!" He laughs and she laughs and before they know it, it's like they're back in time and they're kids again.

But sooner than later Dawn straightens out and looks into his eyes. "Well, I'm working on it."

Barry feels his cheeks catch again. "Huh-"

"And I don't want to hear that from you! _Mr.I've-never-had-a-girlfriend-or-any-other-friends-for-that-matter!" _She giggles like a kid and Barry does a growl as he stares at her before laughing again.

"Yeah, well," He starts. _"I'm working on it."_

He then grips her hand tighter, a smile tugging at his lips before he looked around.

And suddenly she tugs his hand back and her lips are hitting the corner of his, and he can feel her smiling with it, too.

Sure; She may not be the same girl he saw standing there in 3rd grade who always lectured him on not running with scissors and told him to stop being so damn dense and to listen to her boring problems, but she was still the girl he'd probably jump off a cliff for or run to the end of the earth to see.

With or without safety scissors.

And for that, it was enough, as the snow poured over them and time seemed to stand still.

Barry had never exactly been good with words.

Barry had never exactly been good with people, either.

And Barry had never exactly been good with Dawn.

But everyone had their own way of doing things.


End file.
